The Best Ways to Recycle this Winter

As the temperatures drop, you might be taking a look at areas around the house and reevaluating your needs. While spring is the usual time to cleanup around the home, there are still plenty of ways to go green and recycle during the winter months. As your conducting your seasonal cleaning spree, keep these tips in mind for the best ways to recycle this winter.

Evaluate the Coat Closet

If you’ve put on last year’s coat and it no longer fits, consider reusing the old items. Donate to those in need or bring them to a consignment shop instead of tossing them. You may not realize it, but 1.4 billion pounds of clothing in New York ends up in the waste stream. If we all took tiny steps to recycle clothing by donating or selling old clothing, we can help reduce this waste.

What to do with those Leaves

While fall foliage can be beautiful, clean up can be a mess. Instead of disposing of leaves, use them as a nutrient rich material for next year’s garden. Rake leaves and use them as winter ground cover for gardens and around trees and shrubs. Leaves act as a natural insulation for plants and protect them from winter freeze damage.

Trees, Wreaths and Plants

Soon we will be putting out the holiday decorations including holiday wreaths, trees, and plants. Unfortunately, many of these live Christmas trees and wreaths end up being thrown out. Check with your local solid waste department to see if they collect trees to mulch for a greener alternative.

Use a Reusable Bag

Using a reusable bag to grocery shop is something that you can do all year, but remember that you can use a reusable bag while shopping for presents this holiday season! Most plastic bags end up in landfills, where they take thousands of years to decompose. Or, they can end up littering our community. These small steps can have a big impact on our environment.

Recycle your Fireplace Soot

Who doesn’t love a wood burning fireplace? You may not realize it, but even the ashes from your fireplace can be recycled. The EPA recommends storing the ashes in a container until spring. The soot can be used in a DIY compost for a garden.

Don’t Forget to Go Green this Winter

As the weather turns colder and our focus turns to the holidays, it can sometimes be difficult to take steps to recycle. We urge you to find little ways to make an impact and go green. If you ever need help with your recycling efforts in Atlanta, GA, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at AmeriSouth Recycling!